The Tattoo
by It Was Lupus Once
Summary: Oneshot. House knows Cuddy had a tattoo at one time and wants to know if she still has it. My first story, I thought I'd put it out there, just because. Huddy.


AN: So I published this back in June of 09 but I accidentally replaced this chapter with a newer story, so as of January '10, I found an unedited version of this still on my computer so any mistakes are because 1. this is unbeta'd. 2. I'm too lazy to go back through and edit again. Thanks for reading. Any and all reviews are appreciated.

Disclaimer: David Shore owns House, yadda, yadda, yadda.

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It had been a long day for Cuddy, just as every other day before that had been. Today really was no different than the others and when House padded up behind her at the nurses station in the clinic she knew her day would not be getting any easier anytime soon. He stood behind her, with his hot breath on her neck, his height towering and looming over her petit figure, just standing there leering. She was inwardly hoping he would leave of his own volition so it was a full minute before she responded to his presence.

"What are you doing?" Cuddy asked exasperatedly.

"Nothing. Just... looking." House nonchalantly replied.

"And why, pray tell do you feel the need to 'look'?" she spoke as she craned her neck to see at him.

"You know as well as I do that you've got a rack that rivals the best of them, actually every other red blooded man in this hospital knows that, 'cause that shirt is doing nothing to keep the girls hidden from sight." He quipped.

"Thanks House," she said sarcastically. "But for once, you weren't looking at my chest, you were looking at the back of my head, I could feel your breath." Cuddy said monotonously, as she turned around now toe to toe with him.

"I know, I was simply reminding us both that you have killer knockers. Actually, I forgot already, I think I should swing by your place later tonight to really get a closer look. You know, do a hand inspection and take some pictures, basic stuff, just for reference. That way I wouldn't need to come by and bother you as often while you're doctoring. Well, actually" he took a second to let out a sarcastic chuckle just for good measure, "that shouldn't really bother you because you haven't been a doct..."

"ENOUGH!" Cuddy raised her voice enough to cause the patients in the clinic to take notice. She looked around at them a bit embarrassed but proceeded in the dance she had been engaging with House in for far to long. "What do you want House?" she made sure to lower her voice this time as she was reminded of her surroundings.

"I just wanted to see if you still have it," he said seriously.

"If I still have what?!" Cuddy was thoroughly confused as to what House meant, most of the time she could decipher House's vague statements, but this one was just too general for her to even attempt to interpret.

"You know," he said wiggling his eyebrows and giving her a very suggestive look

"No, I don't. Explain." she said in a no-nonsense tone.

"Your tattoo." He responded

"You remember that?" she asked genuinely surprised.

"I remember? How could I forget!" He said with too much enthusiasm for her liking.

"It's not the same anymore," she said hoping to deflate him as she started walking towards her office.

"Did you get it removed?" he asked taken aback as he followed her.

"Altered" she responded clearly wanting to change the subject.

"Altered! Why?! It wasn't even that big to begin with! Couldn't have been more than a centimeter by a centimeter. Someone couldn't handle the pain!"

They had just entered her office and were now continuing this squabble in the middle of it with the door closed behind them.

"It doesn't matter the size! Why would I want a tattoo on my neck of a symbol that said pants?!" she said.

"Because it was your nickname -party pants!" he said in a 'duh' tone.

"When I was getting it you told me it was the Chinese symbol for serenity!" she stated hotly.

"It's not my fault you kicked back one too many drinks that night!"

"Yes it is! We had to study for an exam the next Monday, I wanted to study, I didn't even want to drink that night, but nooooo you said you'd sing 99 bottles of beer for every drink I wouldn't be having that night and you wouldn't shut up until I started drinking!" Cuddy said, getting angry reliving this not-so-pleasant memory.

"Hey, I'm not the one that took you to the tattoo parlor." He defended himself.

"Yes you did!" she said

"Oh, right. Well, you were the one going on about getting a tattoo for weeks before you that night; you had your mind made up about it long before that night. I remember you weighing out all the pros and cons, you're so anal retentive I even found the list you made, I believe at the bottom of it, it even had a list of sanitary and not sanitary tattoo parlors." He continued to defend himself.

"I may have made my mind up about getting it, but you were the one who convinced me that getting it while I was drunk would make it less painful." She paused as if to gather herself, "look I don't want to talk about this anymore, it's in the past. Why did you even bring this up?" she asked tiredly.

"What did you change it to?" he ignored her question.

"Stop deflecting. Why now? Why did you want to know if I still had it"

"I was just curious," he said honestly.

She gave him a look that said 'I don't believe you' but figured she wouldn't get much more so she just she accepted his answer, "fine." she said

"So what did you change it to?" he said still curious.

"What does it matter House?"

"I just want to know."

Tired and feeling overall just defeated, not wanting to argue, she sighed and said, "see for yourself."

She walked over to him with an air of confidence though, toe to toe for the second time today. He looked down at her, they locked eyes, and everything unsaid between them lay in that space between their chests as they stood ever so closely to each other. Cuddy slowly broke the eye contact and looked down at the floor, as she gradually and turned around. A simple gesture, turning around, but somehow the slow rhythm of her movements effortlessly exuded a sensuality that was all her own. She stood with her back to him. And as her hand leisurely made its way to the back of her neck, ever so torturously slow and she began to push the hair away to one side, his hand joined hers in the task. Their fingers just brushed against one another and the tension that had been between them for years set their bodies on fire from the inside. But neither outwardly acknowledged this feeling; instead the hands moved her hair to her left shoulder as her neck was exposed.

He stared at her porcelain skin for a moment. His finger lingered on her neck outlining the tattoo. The once small figure was now nearly double the size if not more; it was elegant, still small, hidden, but entirely different. His mind registered the image.

"You got a seagull?" he asked, though it came out as more of a statement than a question.

"Yes." she said, relinquishing nothing and everything in her tone

"Why would you get this though?" he said a little amazed at her, understanding it, but disbelief that she would chose this particular image of a seagull.

"Haven't you asked me enough questions today, are we through yet?" she said turning around to face him.

"You have the silhouette of Jonathan Livingston Seagull on your neck." He stated.

"Yes, you just saw it, how in the world did you deduce that Sherlock?" she was done with this, or at least she wanted to be done with this, so her mood switched from tired to quipping in an attempt to get him off her back.

"Why?" he asked in a voice barely above a whisper, it came out much softer than he had expected.

She paused, she didn't want to say anything, but knowing House, this wouldn't end until he got all of his answers.

She breathed deep, exhaled and began, "because, it's a powerful story of a bird who seeks knowledge and perfection through flight. And learns that respect, love and forgiveness, are all three important; and that sometimes there are things more worthwhile than obeying commonly accepted rules just because they're there." She sighed again, looked down, and looked back at him again, meeting his gaze, "you gave me a lot more than a book about a seagull House."

There was silence. They stared at each other, neither quite knowing what to say or do next. His eyes began boring holes into her. Seconds, minutes, hours maybe even days passed as they stood in this stalemate. But it ended quickly as he placed his hand on her waist and tentatively moved his head closer to hers. She stood stock still as his lips ghosted over hers. A feather light kiss brushed her mouth and as soon as her mind registered what was happening her lips gently returned the light kiss as his lips lingered on hers for the briefest moment. He pulled back. The tender moment was over.

She stood there, confused as to what in the hell just happened. But he was already moving towards the door. She stood in the middle of her office trying to comprehend the last few minutes when he reached her door and turned around and quietly called her name, "hey Cuddy."

Her eyes moved from the floor and met his eyes again, "huh" she said, being removed from her reverie.

"Thanks" House said. He closed the door behind him and a small smile found it's way on to Cuddy's face.

The door burst open once more. "My offer still stands, I'm more than willing to come by tonight and get a better look at the twins" and just as quickly as it opened, he closed the door and left. Cuddy just chuckled and attempted to return to her work. All the while secretly hoping he would indeed come by tonight.


End file.
